Browsing a local junque shop, a pipe shaped object caught my eye. On second look..it was indeed a pipe. I picked it up and gave it the once over. [As an aside, I've only ever found 1 mainline brand name pipe locally in an antique shop.] I didn't have high hopes but I flipped it over and to my surprise it was a Comoy's sandblast, shape 66 (billiard). Also surprising was the relative condition.. chamber looked in good shape and the stem didn't have any tooth marks. For $4..why not?
Further examination at home revealed a 3 part C in the stem. Nice! Some Everclear and a few pipe cleaners later.. it seems this pipe had been lightly smoked but certainly not abused. The rim of the bowl doesn't show any charring and the chamber itself looks like it's been reamed before. No cake is present at all but the telltale circular marks are on the walls.
Really the only sign of actual wear is the draft hole.. I can see a very small fissure that may indicate someone gave this pipe a VERY deep cleaning before OR the original owner got heavy handed while cleaning out dottle.
Either way I'm going to give her a good smoking tomorrow.
Further examination at home revealed a 3 part C in the stem. Nice! Some Everclear and a few pipe cleaners later.. it seems this pipe had been lightly smoked but certainly not abused. The rim of the bowl doesn't show any charring and the chamber itself looks like it's been reamed before. No cake is present at all but the telltale circular marks are on the walls.
Really the only sign of actual wear is the draft hole.. I can see a very small fissure that may indicate someone gave this pipe a VERY deep cleaning before OR the original owner got heavy handed while cleaning out dottle.
Either way I'm going to give her a good smoking tomorrow.
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